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Framing Leviticus: Away, Toward, Within
Leviticus Introduction- Small group questions
A central question to the book of Leviticus is “How do we worship?” They live in a world where the normal way of worship includes animal sacrifice. The animal was usually then eaten by the family sacrificing and the priests but it was done as a reminder of their own morality, a ritual to deal with their guilt and forgiveness, and a meal to remember that God provides their food. Food was the most central part of life and survival in ancient culture so it naturally became the a part of worship. The sacrificial system was part of the culture they understood. Sacrifices weren’t “God’s idea” but he met the Israelites where they were and worked within a system they understood. He used that system to begin to lead them “away from” the world they knew. They were to do things differently, eat differently, and live differently as they begin to be a people who were “set apart” or “holy.” God always stoops to meet people where they are in their culture in order to move them forward. This is what we need to remember to start looking at this ancient book.
In our modern world, those who eat meat are removed from the process that got the meat to our plate. Around farming communities however they are intimately familiar with raising an animal that will become food. If you could imagine yourself as an ancient Israelite taking food for sacrifice... what do you think it would be like? Take a moment to imagine it and then share.
We just finished the book of Romans where it says in chapter 12 to “offer your bodies as living sacrifices.” Obviously this is a metaphor drawing on an ancient image... but how does this speak to the way we are to worship now? What does this say about the state of our heart as we worship now?
The idea of coming to God in worship is the idea of coming to remember the sacred in the middle of everything. As God steps into our culture now, what are some ways we can worship? What forms of worship can/do you use to draw you closer to God?
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By Vine39
Leviticus Introduction- Small group questions
A central question to the book of Leviticus is “How do we worship?” They live in a world where the normal way of worship includes animal sacrifice. The animal was usually then eaten by the family sacrificing and the priests but it was done as a reminder of their own morality, a ritual to deal with their guilt and forgiveness, and a meal to remember that God provides their food. Food was the most central part of life and survival in ancient culture so it naturally became the a part of worship. The sacrificial system was part of the culture they understood. Sacrifices weren’t “God’s idea” but he met the Israelites where they were and worked within a system they understood. He used that system to begin to lead them “away from” the world they knew. They were to do things differently, eat differently, and live differently as they begin to be a people who were “set apart” or “holy.” God always stoops to meet people where they are in their culture in order to move them forward. This is what we need to remember to start looking at this ancient book.
In our modern world, those who eat meat are removed from the process that got the meat to our plate. Around farming communities however they are intimately familiar with raising an animal that will become food. If you could imagine yourself as an ancient Israelite taking food for sacrifice... what do you think it would be like? Take a moment to imagine it and then share.
We just finished the book of Romans where it says in chapter 12 to “offer your bodies as living sacrifices.” Obviously this is a metaphor drawing on an ancient image... but how does this speak to the way we are to worship now? What does this say about the state of our heart as we worship now?
The idea of coming to God in worship is the idea of coming to remember the sacred in the middle of everything. As God steps into our culture now, what are some ways we can worship? What forms of worship can/do you use to draw you closer to God?